📖 🇪🇸 Fuente de Piedra ~ Spain 24/04/2023

🇪🇸 Monday 25th April 2023 🌞30C ~ Wind SE @ 3MPH ~An early morning and chilly start at Fuente de Piedra arriving at sunrise to just 8C and clear skies. As I drove slowly onto the reserve, parking next to the pool on your left when you enter the reserve ('the disappearing pool') I could see immediately there was plenty to look forward to. *('the disappearing pool') This pool will be devoid of water in a few weeks!

Around 50 or so Greater Flamingos on the Cerro del Palo

A large gathering of Greater Flamingos, many Avocets, Pochard and Black-winged Stilt on the water and from the car I could make out at least ten Common Sandpipers, plus Little-ringed Plovers, Ruff and a few Little Stints feeding around the peripheral. 

A Purple Heron directly overhead

After parking, I made my way over to Sedero las Albinas for a walk across the boardwalk. In fact, I'd only made it halfway when a Purple Heron flew directly over my head! The lagoon was awash with birds and along with a few local photographers, I spent an hour enjoying the scene from the boardwalk. It's no exaggeration to say that I've never experienced so many different wader species in one small area and, provided you were quiet, the birds were extremely tolerant.

At least 17 Curlew Sandpipers mostly in breeding plumage.

The best way to give a further account of this part of the visit is to write a short pictorial of the species noted and this follows below.

Black-winged Stilt ~ Various numbers on the lagoons

Water Rail ~ Just a single bird noted. Seemed to be the main attraction for the photographers!

Ringed Plover ~ A count of seven on the lagoon

Little-ringed Plover ~ Display flight in evidence & lots of chasing around.

Glossy Ibis ~ A nice group of 16 birds on the Sedero las Albinas

Ruff ~ Great to see one almost in breeding plumage.

Little Stint ~ I counted 15 but could have easily been more.

Wood Sandpiper ~ Just a single bird noted today.

Spotted Redshank ~ Always nice to see in near-summer plumage.

Avocet ~ Good numbers around most areas of the reserve.

After the boardwalk, I had a quick walk to check out a few agricultural fields and scoped at least four Stone Curlew in the heat haze, the temperature was now well on the rise. 

The first of five Woodchat Shrikes seen today.

The first of five Woodchat Shrikes were also noted, plus a couple of Yellow Wagtails, one a Motacilla flava iberiae. As I made my way back across the boardwalk to begin my walk along the path that runs adjacent to the main laguna it seems I stumbled upon quite a rarity for the sight, a Grasshopper Warbler. Actually, I wasn't aware of this fact until I uploaded my report on Ebird when shortly after I received an email requiring more data. I only heard the bird, which was reeling for some time but had the good sense to record it on my Merlin App and so have updated my sighting report.

Gull-billed Tern ~ One of a number of birds commuting from the main lagoon across to the Laguneta.

A central track runs left from the centre and leads between mixed agricultural fields and the main lagoon, it ends at a railway crossing around a kilometre away. Despite being well protected by treeline there are a few areas where you can get reasonable long-distance views of the Lagoon. Unfortunately, the lagoon is extremely low on water and I estimate that less than 200 Greater Flamingos are currently on site. Lots of Shelduck and Gull-billed Terns and I managed to pick out two Kentish Plover on the salt flats.

Reed Warbler

Along the walk, Cuckoo, Reed Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Nightingale, Stonechat, three more Woodchat Shrike and a single Spotted Flycatcher were the best, along with many House Sparrows.

A pair of Red-crested Pochard on the Lagunetta

My next stop was the Lagunetta Hide, where most of the waterfowl can be found and today there was a good selection. (5) Marbled Duck, Pochard, (6) Red-crested Pochard, (5) Black-necked Grebe along with Little Grebes, (5) White-headed Duck, (2) Northern Shoveler and (15) Gadwall. A Turtle Dove could also be heard and over towards the town on a large chimney stack I was happy to see the White Stork nest is still there with a single bird in residence. A creditable 72 species were noted today!

And the Best of the Rest... 

Glossy Ibis

Bee-eater ~ Taken on a drive of the reserve

Lesser Kestrel ~ 2 seen today.

Crested Lark

Curlew Sandpiper

Ruff 

Ruff 

Stone Curlew

Corn Bunting 

📖 🇪🇸 Guadalhorce ~ Spain 20/04/2023

🇪🇸 Thursday 20th April 2023 🌤 23C ~ Wind SE @ 3MPH ~The start of just over two weeks in Spain, staying as usual at my friend's villa in Mijas. I decided to begin this visit with a leisurely stroll around Guadahorce in the early afternoon, site details can be found on my blog HERE or by clicking on the SPAIN🇪🇸 link on the top header bar.

Love them or not Monk Parakeets are a common feature around Guadalhorce

A Hoopoe calling and plenty of House Martins as I walked down to the bridge crossing from the church. The House Martins were busy nest building under the bridge arches and beyond under the road bridge the usual Rock Doves. A few Sardinian Warblers and in the reeds along the river Cetti's Warbler and Reed Warbler and I could already see and hear the marauding Monk Parakeets as I entered the reserve!

Marbled Duck ~ One of six birds noted today

A Zitting Cisticola was busily zitting overhead and a Nightingale was singing as I reached the hide at Laguna de la Casilla. It seems that last year's reintroduction of Marbled Duck to the site is progressing well as almost immediately after taking a seat a single bird dropped in, six were noted in total today. A half dozen Little Grebes and five Little Egrets, plus a few nest-building pairs of Black-winged Stilt.

One of three Booted Eagles

My next stop was the del Rio Viejo hide and as a walked along the track three Booted Eagles and a Common Kestrel were overhead. More Black-winged Stilt nest building with Redshank, Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Shelduck on the pool, which had receded a good distance back from the hide. 

Slender-billed Gull on the old river section.

On the old river Sanderling, Ringed Plover and Dunlin were feeding along the waterline, along with two Slender-billed Gulls a short distance out.

One of the many Sandwich Terns on the Laguna Grande

Very little of note on the sea from the de Aves Marinas and similar along the shoreline as I made my way around to the Laguna Grande, even the fenced nesting area was devoid of birds with the exception of a single Crested Lark.  

A Woodchat Shrike in the heat haze

Walking from the beach to the Laguna Grande a passage of Bee-eaters, plus a Woodchat Shrike, which I managed to photograph through the heat haze. 

Greater Flamingos from the Laguna Grande hide

As always the Laguna Grande was the most productive and so I spent a good hour here. I estimated over 100 Sandwich Terns resting on the surrounding islands mixed in with Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls. Two Spoonbills were asleep on the far side of the lagoon and out on the water were three more Slender-billed Gulls. A stunning Audouin's Gull stood out for me and of course not to mention the odd Yellow-legged Gull. Five Greater Flamingos were also busily feeding during my stay.

An Audouin's Gull stands out on Laguna Grande

There were a number of wader species to be found and these included Kentish Plover, Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Dunlin, Greenshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Avocet and Common Sandpiper. Strangely no Little-ringed Plover today!

A single Curlew Sandpiper on the Laguna Grande

My final stop was the Laguna Escondida and here a single Kingfisher just below the hide,  along with a few Black-tailed Skimmer dragonflies and lots of Terrapin. Two Marbled Ducks and at least five White-headed ducks were also noted at the rear of the Lagoon.

Painted Lady

Swallowtail

Lulworth Skipper

Butterflies of note today included several Painted Ladies and two Swallowtails and I was quite surprised to find so many Lulworth Skippers on the reserve.

More Images of the Day...

Black-winged Stilt

Little Grebe

Avocet

Kentish Plover

Sanderling

Slender-billed Gull

Audouin's Gull

Audouin's Gull

Curlew Sandpiper

Yellow-legged Gull

White-headed Duck (f)

📖 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ~ Dalmadilly Ponds ~ 18/04/2023

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Tuesday 18th April 2023 ☁️ 5C Wind S @ 4MPH ~ A final walk around Dalmadilly Ponds this morning before heading off to Spain tomorrow. Quite a chilly start with the sea haar just about reaching this far inland. 

Recently arrived Willow Warbler

It's my first visit since last Thursday and there's been a good influx of Willow Warblers since then with at least six recorded around the ponds today. A singing Blackcap was also a first and Chiffchaffs are still plentiful with eight recorded. Lesser Redpolls are also displaying and not being a territorial species six birds were dancing over the treetops. 

Goldcrest

A couple of Goldcrests were also displaying in amongst the pines. Unusually a Grey Wagtail flew over the west pond, a bird I would normally record down below on the River Don. Two Oystercatchers looked briefly for a spot to land but the water remains high and the Islands are not currently showing so they headed on. Four Swallows today, no Sand Martins and it looks like I'll have to wait until my return in May for my first Scottish House Martin. My Scotland year list will therefore pause at 147.

Drake Goosander ~ River Don

On the ponds a single Little Grebe and no sign of any Goldeneye today, a winter stalwart here and most likely headed off to breeding grounds. A count of 22 Tufted Duck is the norm at this time of year. Down on the River Don from the viewpoint at Dalmadilly a drake Goosander and a single Dipper.

📖 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ~ Cabrach ~ 16/04/2023

 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Sunday 15th April 2023 ☁️6C ~ SSE @ 2MPH ~Another early start this morning at Cabrach meeting up at Clashindarroch with thirteen other members of the RSPB Aberdeenshire Local Group.

Around 25 miles from home the Cabrach is an estate and largely depopulated rural community. It's one of the largest planted coniferous forests in the northeast. There's a good variety of habitats here: typical forests and clearings, birch woodland, scrub and open stream valleys as well as adjacent upland farmland and moorland.

Two of six Crossbill from the car park just before sunrise.

I arrived in advance of the other members at around 06:15 and immediately set up the scope on a lekking group of around six Black Grouse. A male Hen Harrier was also quartering the moorland but some distance away. Even at this early hour, a group of Common Crossbill were chattering away around the car park. A few Lesser Redpoll and Siskins were also in the surrounding treetops and several Meadow Pipits were flitting around the roadside. A skein of some 200 Pink-footed Geese was also seen at height heading north and all before my first coffee!

View down to the 2nd lekking group of Black Grouse from the roadside.

Once the other group members had arrived along with today's group leader David Leslie and we were happy in the knowledge that everyone had managed good scoped views of Black Grouse we headed off now car sharing to a second lek around 10 minutes away. It was an excellent display with around ten male birds involved while a couple of females looked on in anticipation. While here a male Hen Harrier, possibly the same bird I'd observed earlier, was seen quartering the hillside once more, plus a herd of some 30 Red Deer, two Red Grouse and a Red Kite.

Curlew ~ Good numbers nest at Cabrach

From here we moved on up into the Cabrach farmlands, noting lots of Curlew, winnowing Snipe, Redshank, Oystercatcher and Lapwing, all of which nest in the farm areas. Also of note were a few Sand Martins at the riverside as well as a large colony of nesting Common Gulls plus a smaller colony of Black-heading Gulls not far away.

My 1st Wheatear of the year

Moving down from the valley a Wheatear along the stone walls provided a brief photo opportunity before our next stop to overlook the valley really paid off!

Ring Ouzel just as one of the Wheatears takes flight

During a scan of a wooded valley a Ring Ouzel was spotted just behind the group giving good flight views, shortly followed by a passing Peregrine. We did manage to reconnect with the Ring Ouzel a little further along the road with everyone getting good views, as well as three more Wheatear. which were in the same area.

Plenty of Common Crossbill active today.

Back at the car park for a quick snack before a woodland walk through the forest. Plenty more Crossbills, Lesser Redpoll and Siskin as well as Sparrowhawk overhead and a singing Tree Pipit before the majority of the group dispersed in good spirits. I and three others stayed for an hour or so enjoying our lunch in the car park and were rewarded with a Goshawk over the woodland heading south as if this wasn't enough brief views of a Golden Eagle which unfortunately dipped down behind the treeline leaving us frustrated but elated after a terrific morning birding!

A few more images of the Day...

Ring Ouzel

Black Grouse